1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a switch for use in connecting and disconnecting circuits on a printed circuit board and more particularly to a sealed switch in which switch actuation occurs by movement perpendicular to the printed circuit board on which the switch is mounted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Switches configured as dual inline packages (DIP switches) are utilized within electronic equipment to change the configuration of the equipment. For example, DIP switches are typically found on items such as mother boards within computers or on expansion cards or auxiliary cards which are mounted within the computer. The switches allow easy changes in con on in the system, for example, the configuration of a system can be varied to change the output location or printer or plotter model by merely changing the switch settings.
The DIP switches can either be installed and soldered directly to the printed circuit board or the switch can be inserted within a DIP socket similar to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,296 to Kunkle, et al. which is soldered to the board. This latter practice enables a faulty switch to be replaced without the complexity of unsoldering the switch from the board.
Such a switch is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,391 to Olsson where the switch includes a plurality of leads extending outwardly from the body for interconnection to the printed circuit board. The fixed ends of the leads which extend into the housing are spaced apart a sufficient distance to prevent shorting therebetween. A spring metal slide is located between the two lead fixed ends and is moveable towards and away from, one of the lead fixed ends to connect and disconnect the two opposed leads.
Additional printed circuit board switches configured as a standard DIP switch are disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,608 discloses a "DIP switch" in which the switch contact beams comprise inwardly extending contact arms which cross intermediate their ends. Partition walls in the housing base are interposed between contact pairs. Pressure sensitive adhesive backed tape is shown secured to the top of the cover to prevent contamination of the DIP switch components. U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,404 discloses a DIP switch assembly allowing impedance programming. U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,234 discloses a DIP switch in which the switch contacts have downwardly bent curved sections comprising 4 contact legs in which the contact legs on the same end of the switch contact are separated by separation slots. Dimples are provided at the contact point of each switch contact leg. U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,069 discloses a DIP switch employing a rocker type switch actuator. U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,565 discloses a sealed slotted switch in which the seal is positioned between the housing and the cover. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 179,603 filed Apr. 11, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,105 discloses a DIP switch in which a lip on the cover is received within a channel in the insulating housing and the cover and lower insulating housing are ultrasonically welded together. The ultrasonic welding technique employed therein is also disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 179,602 filed Apr. 11, 1988.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,126 discloses an electrical contact assembly with a ramp guide in which contact is made between adjacent terminals on a cylindrical switch assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,503 discloses a slide action switch in which a proJection is engaged by a moveable contact member to move the moveable contact member away from the surface of a conductive component.
None of these prior art disclosures show a printed circuit board switch in which the switch is actuated by movement towards and away from the printed circuit board. Conventional DIP switch configurations employ switches in which the slot actuator is moved in a direction parallel to the printed circuit board. The instant invention, having the switch actuators movable perpendicular to the printed circuit board, allows the switch to be positioned along the edge of the printed circuit board where the slide actuators are readily accessible. The DIP switches disclosed in the prior art employ a printed circuit board pattern corresponding to the traditional in-line configuration used with DIP components. The instant invention, on the other hand, employs leads in a zig-zag configuration in which the leads are staggered for insertion in a staggered array of a printed circuit board through holes. The instant invention also employs a printed circuit board slide switch in which separate compartments are formed within the insulative body, with the slide actuators being shiftable within separate compartments, each containing a pair of side-by-side contact portions of adjacent terminals. The slide actuators engage compartment walls to maintain the position of the slide actuators.